Die Zeichnungen von Paul Cézanne im Kunstmuseum Basel

Spurensuche und Rekonstruktion seiner Skizzenbücher

Abstract

The Drawings of Paul Cézanne in the Kunstmuseum Basel. Searching for traces and reconstructing his sketchbooks
The Kupferstichkabinett of the Kunstmuseum Basel possesses the world's most comprehensive collection of drawings by the artist Paul Cézanne with a total of 154 sheets. 111 sheets from this collection come from disassembled sketchbooks. Intensive studies of the art and material technology made it possible to review and partially correct the assignment of the drawings to the five so-called Basel sketchbooks. Moreover, the original order of the drawings within each sketchbook was reconstructed to the extent possible and sheets from other collections were identified and assigned to the sketchbooks. In addition, previously undiscovered traces on the drawings, such as glossy lines and fingernail marks, provided clues to the artist's possible working methods, but also to previous restoration treatments.